Automatic hen-marker.



F. H. PEBBLE & K. 1). GRANT.

AUTOMATIC HEN MARKER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. s, 1914.

1,098,971 Patented June 2,1914.

3 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

ESZZZLTTU Z7- G ran By W ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRVAYH CO.,\VASHINGTON,D. :5.

P. H. PEBBLE & K. D. GRANT.

AUTOMATIC HEN MARKER.

APPLICATION FILED I'EB. s, 1914.

1,098,971 Patented June 2, 1914.

2 $HEETS SHEET Z.

C29, JfeZZarn y. gran/Z I By M ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAIH Co-, WAS!lmG'roN. D. c.

UNITED sra'rns PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. PREBLE AND KELLUM 1). GRANT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC HEN-MARKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1914..

Application filed February 3, 1914. Serial No. 816,192.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK H. PREBLE and KELLUM D. GRANT, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedAutomatic Hen-Marker, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to the care of live stock, and has particularreference to poultry apparatus.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a means forautomatically classifying hens as to their propensity to enter a nest.

Among the objects of our invention, more definitely stated, therefore,is to provide a nest construction with devices whereby, when a henenters the nest, a drop of ink or paint of any suitable nature will becaused to drop upon her back. By this means, therefore the hens whichenter nests will be marked so as to clearly identify them anddistinguish them from the hens which do not frequent the nests.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter bemore fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forminga part of this specification in which like characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which j Figure 1is a front elevation of a preferred form of our invention, certain partsof the structure being in section, and the view indicating the nest innormal unoccupied position; Fig. 2 is a similar view indi: cating theparts assumed by them when the nest is occupied by a single hen; Fig. 3is a vertical transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. lis avertical section of the color applying mechanism, the parts being in theposition indicated in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line55 of Fig. 4c, the top of the color casing being shown in plan view;Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4E; and Fig. 7 isa side elevation of. a hens nest made in accordance with this invention,with a modified means for supporting it.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials,and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design ofthe mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent without deat 10 anest suspended with its rear closed a wall 11 in close proximity to afixed wall 12 of a building. Said nest 10 is supported in positionadjacent said wall. but movable vertically along the same so as torespond to the weight of the hen or hens. Any suitable means may beprovided to support the nest in elevated osition in such a manner as toallow it to Sll'llflllldGl the force of the hens weight for the purposesto be de scribed below. porting means comprises one or morecounterweights connected by a flexible connection 13 such as a cordconnected at one end to a point lat adjacent the top of the neststructure and at the other end at a point 15 to a counterweight 16. Theintermediate portion of the cord 13 is guided over any suitable numberor arrangement of direction pulleys 17 arranged adjacent a bracket 18secured above the nest to the wall 12. The weight of the counterweight16 is suflicient to elevate the nest when empty, the extent of movementof the nest and counterweight being limited by stop means below thecounterweight.

At 19 we show a casing secured in a clamp 20 extending from the bracket18. Said casing is designed to hold any suitable character of ink, paintor other marking One of the preferred supmaterial which will be referredto herein as I color and indicated at C. We do not limit ourselves tothe use of any particular character of color but employ any commodity ofa suitable nature in liquid form. which may be dispensed. from thecasing in minute quantities with reliability and for a long period oftime so as not to require constant attention by the operator. The casingis maintained, as above premised, in a stationary position above thenest and prefer ably just above the spot or place occupied by the hen asshe enters the nest and depresses it by her weight. At 21 is shown astandard secured to or carried by the top of the casing and extendingupwardly parallel to the vertical axis thereof. A lever 22 is connectedby pin and slot connection 23 to said standard. The shorter end of thelever 22 cooperates normally with a frust0- conical collar 24 adjustablyconnected to a cord normally suihcient slack to permit the 0pbetween thetop thereof and said valve to maintain the valve closed and the stem inits normal depressed position, as shown in Fig. a. The lever 22 ismaintained normally in the position shown by means of a spring 29connected at one end at a point 30, the other end of the spring beingconnected to the standard. The spring acts to force the lever toward thestem The outer or longer end of the lever is maintained normallyelevated by means of a spring 31 supported upon a lug 32 at its lowerend. By adjusting the collar 24 up or down the stem, the extent ofvertical movement thereof, and hence the amount of color to bedischarged thereby at each reciprocation, may

be varied and the adjustment may be made secured by one or more locknuts 24. A cord 83 secured at its upper end to the outer end of thelever 22 and connected at its lower end at the point 31- to the hensnest causes the weight of the hen added to the nest to actuate the lever22 and lift the stem 25, allowing a drop or more of the color to enterthe nipple from which it will be dropped or spurted by the action of thestem as it drops to its normal position after the shorter end of thelever snaps past the collar 24. When the hen leaves the nest thecounterweight 16 will restore the nest to normal position, slackeningthe cord 33 and allowing the spring 31 to restore the shorter end ornose of the lever 22 beneath the collar 2%, the slotted connection at 23allowing the lever to move outwardly so as to wipe over the inclinedsurface of said collar. Should the nest which is occupied by one hen beentered by another, the latter hen will receive a mark of color from thesame mechanism and in a manner substantially the same as above describedin connection with the marking of the first hen, but for this purpose weprovide an auxiliary lever 22' supported upon a shorter standard 21 andresisted by a shorter spring 31. The 33 connected to the mechanism haseration of the nest due to the weight of the first hen only withoutactuating the lever 21.. In other words, the first hen depresses thenest to a distance proportional only to her own weight, lifting thecounterweight 16 in so doin The counterweight 16 in this form of theinvention is limited in its upward movement by one or more bolts 35having loose connection with an auxiliary counterweight 16. Saidcounterweight 16, therefore, acts as a stop means to limit the movementof the nestwhen supporting a single hen. The lever 22 and, the partsassociated therewith always respond to the presence of a single hen, andif such hen leaves the nest before another comes, the lever 22 will notbe actuated. If, however, a second hen enters the nest, the nest will befurther depressed due to the additional weight, the counterweight 16being then picked up and the cord 33 will operate the lever 22 and thestem through contact with a collar 2% adjustable on the stem in themanner above described. The second hen, therefore, entering the nestwill be marked as a layer. The counterweights are normally supported bybrackets 36 secured to the guide rails 37 along the wall 12.

In Fig. 7 we show a modification of construction in which the nest 10 issupported normally upon a plurality of springs 16 and 16 correspondingin function to the counterweights 16 and 16 respectively, said springsacting between an ear 38 connected to the end of the nest and acollar 89secured to a bracket 40 along which the nest is guided during itsvertical movements. A second ear 38 may be connected adjacent the bottomof the nest to steady and guide it along said bracket 40. The operationof the nest in this embodiment of the invention is the same as above setforth. 7 The spring 16 is sufiicient to hold the nest in normal elevatedposition and is just weak enough to allow the nest to be depressed by asingle hen, and when the nest is occupied by two hens both springs willbe depressed, allowing the nest to sink to its next position.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. In a device of the character set forth,

the combination of a nest, means to support the nest for verticalmovements responsive to the weight of a hen, and color applying meansabove the nest actuated by the weight of the hen as she enters the nestto cause a drop of color to be applied to her back automatically.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a nest,counterbalancing means serving to hold the nest normally elevated butsubject to depression by the weight of a hen entering the nest, a casingabove the nest adapted to contain color, and connections between thenest and the color holder serving to automatically discharge a drop ofcolor upon the hen as she enters and depresses the nest.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a hensnest, means to hold the nest normally elevated, said holding means beingadapted to allow the nest to be depressed to a certain extent by theweight of one hen and to a further extent by the weight of a second hentherein, means above the nest to apply color to a hen entering the nest,and connections between said color means and the nest whereby the colormeans Will be operated. in succession by the several hens entering thenest.

L. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a nest,means to hold the nest normally elevated but responsive to the Weight ofa hen entering the nest to lower the nest, a color casing supportedabove the nest, valve mechanism Within the casing including a stemextending through the top thereof, means connected to the color casingcooperating with said stem to reciproca-te it, and a connection betweenthe casing and the reciprocating means to cause a modicum of color to bedeposited upon the hen as she enters and depresses the nest.

5. The herein described hen marker comprising a nest, means normallysupporting the nest in elevated position subject to depression by hensentering the same, in succession, a color casin above the nest, saidcasing including a va lve having a stern reciprocating therein, aplurality of collars connected to said stem, and means adapted to act onsaid collars successively to de posit a modicum of color upon each henentering the nest.

In testimony whereof We have signed our Copies 0! this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,Washington, D. G.

